You’ve been nighttiming baby, you’ve got your pleasures all around you

If anyone ever had a doubt in their mind that I was absolutely and utterly crazy, this post would erase all remaining doubt completely. A few nights ago I disappeared from all traces of technological civilisation when a friend and I decided to embark on a night-time swim. My conditions of agreement was that he’d have to acquire a waterproof disposable camera with a flash on it – the flash and disposable parts were managed, but waterproof doesn’t seem to get stocked anywhere these days at all. But no matter, since we didn’t end up swimming, despite the trouble I went to whilst trying to wrangle my bikini onto my body without undressing. Who on earth still does that? The act rather reminded me of primary and intermediate school changing rooms for swimming or P.E. class, where all the girls were too scared of baring even their midriffs to one another. I don’t know, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Between the hours of midnight and dawn, we managed to visit a golf course, beach and a hedgehog. I’m the sort of person who has balls of steel until my vivid and over-active imagination kicks in with regards to unknown things in the dark. My nose watered from hayfever, and my eyes watered from my paranoid, triple-coating of mozzie repellent: I’m surprised anyone would risk being caught trespassing with me, appearing and smelling the way I did. Although, having said that, I’m not too sure if we actually trespassed anywhere at all. Is it trespassing if you visit a golf course after hours, with no intention of going near a golf ball? The entire day had been so hot and humid, and it stretched far into the night after sundown. Air so warm that even car-induced wind is not a welcome breeze, and even so much as thinking about moving made my shirt stick to my back.

To whatever glorious person it was that asked me on formspring to post more of my outfits: here you go. Although I doubt I would ever do “outfit posts” (if I did, I would probably feel like even more of a narcissistic jerk that what I already do), maybe you’ll start seeing more of me in photos… maybe.

Thank you, 800 fujifilm in a plastic case buddied with blinding flash:

Bed dive, of course!

Apparently my attire of choice for such a night time excursion isn’t really any different to what I usually wear anyway. Loose black crop top, denim shorts (that I DIY’d out of mens’ $12 jeans from Kmart), and my trusty Dr. Martens.

The hedgehog we photographed from behind because we didn’t want to freak it out with the flash. I think it flipped out anyway.

Rolling down a hiiiilll.

Except for one time in calf-deep water earlier this year, I haven’t attempted a cartwheel in at least 6 years! So that’s why I suck at it now.

Apparently I’m not the only one.

You can’t reaaally see it here, but the thing I am doing a bridge-hold on is a pipe which is mostly submerged in seawater. My back, hands and hair got really wet and sandy from doing this.

The edge of the cliff, into darkness.

Being silly.

Free gift that came with the disposable camera. Like a fold-up frisbee thing.

Hot, sexy, dirty, sweaty dancing tonight. These photos are from a couple of hours ago – Lottie had work and I had two hockey games, both ending at 10pm, but we decided to brave the exhaustion and head out to town anyway. I’m unhappy to say that I didn’t get any goals today (but I tried!), but we ended up winning both games – so effectively I am in the #1 and #3 team in our summer grade, haha. Yay for winning a huge meat pack that we are going to BBQ on Sunday. I’ve got another final to play tomorrow, and that particular team wants to opt for the bar tab, so hopefully I will get the best of both worlds this week.

The new McD’s “extra large” fries – I had underestimated its size and well overestimated my appetite.

I got told off and had to delete this picture, umm. Left: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate sundae. The faux leather pants Lottie is wearing are mine. I do believe she looks better in them than I, thus why I haven’t really worn them much.
Right: Once again, to the glorious person who wanted to see how I dress – well this wasn’t particularly interesting (apart from the view from the front that men rather enjoyed, I do believe), but I was just wearing a black romper that I bought in LA.

Good god, aren’t I such a healthily well-rounded person! Spot the 3x basses, 1x guitar and hockey bag in the background! Also spot the sarcasm! But in all seriousness, I will give a special shout out to anyone who can actually correctly point out where 3 basses are hidden in this picture.

PIXXY.CO.NZ

I am so happy to announce that, after sleepless nights of battling with resizing photos, digging out old albums and trawling through then endless folders of my photos, I’m officially launching
PIXXY.CO.NZ PIXXY.CO.NZ PIXXY.CO.NZ PIXXY.CO.NZ PIXXY.CO.NZ PIXXY.CO.NZ!

Whilst in the process, I found photos that I had long forgotten about, prime examples being:

Alex Freer, Artisan Guns Hearts EP Release. I remember squinting like a mofo to get the perfect focal point. Auto-focus is useless at gigs!

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Taipei, 2010.

Taken on Kodak Colour Reversal film with a Nikon F3, early 2008.

I wrote full lyrics for a song the other night, of which I’m quite proud, but I’m afraid this post is just too littered with random photos to give it any justice if I were to add it to the end. Here’s a compilation of last Wednesday night:

– Sinead’s first time driving into town
– Lottie debuting a dress I’ve been harassing her to wear for months and months
– Me scrambling to shower and get dressed after some very hot and sweaty hockey games. Luckily I saw no blood that night.
Highlight of the night: watching 5 boys fail miserably at flat tire-changing attempts in the McDonald’s carpark! We watched for about half an hour whilst pigging out, then left in fits of girly giggles.
– Charlotte’s anchor deserved to be posted on its own at the bottom!

Don’t for get to visit PIXXY.CO.NZ PIXXY.CO.NZ PIXXY.CO.NZ PIXXY.CO.NZ PIXXY.CO.NZ PIXXY.CO.NZ!

Oh, and how could I forget? Hats off to Dan Carter + Le Bron James shot 3 consecutive 3 pointers within a minute and a half against the Clippers today + my cat stole my side of the bed…

King of Nowhere

This post name is inspired by our national bigot – Michael Laws. Derived from one of my favourite Radiohead son’gs “There There (The Boney King Of Nowhere)”. The point is, I can’t even begin to express how I feel about THIS (go and read it, PLEASE!) so I think the easiest way out of working myself into a little frustrated corner, is by linking to this great man’s blog. I suggest you read it in chronological order, from the bottom up – it’s only 3 posts long so far, I think, but well worth a read – considering a prominent national figure (and mayor of Wanganui) basically told one of the awesomest music teachers I’ve had to “get over it you freeloader – get a real job”. Uhh, excuse me, what?! It’s 2.49am and I really don’t have the energy nor brainpower (let alone patience and coherency) to really explain what I’m bitching about right now, except go and read those two links and it will all become clear!

So as to not taint this post with any more negativity, this is how I spent my evening: went to Mezze Bar on Durham Street for dinner, followed by drinks (and an unexpected round of Jenga!) at the Library Bar for Christine’s 20th birthday. It’s scary to think that we’ve known each other for 7, going on 8 years – and she’s one of the few people I’ve been friends with, for this long. Time truly flies.

The cake I made for Christine. The icing didn’t want to be tamed today. I had written beautifully on the cake, but accidentally spilled hundreds and thousands on it… so had to cover it all up, and write happy birthday on the side. Ahhh!

My main course – Roast Chicken. It was superb. I’m definitely going back for some more of this stuff. Nestled on spinach and amazing risotto and flakes of cheese, oh my god…

The Spanish Meatballs that Tsui and I shared. Lovely stuff. Although I think I could pull this off at home if I made meatball sauce with more herbs.

View from the window behind my seat.

The cake that some other girls made for Christine. It was lovely to look at and to photograph (as you can see from the following bunch of photos…) but I must admit the difficulty with cutting it, along with the mediocre taste was a bit of a let down.

Birthday girl. The one and only. My mother has trouble keeping up with a lot of my friends’ names, but Christine’s is one that’s been well honed into her memory through the years! Haha.

On the matter of blowing out candles… I was only joking when I said “you can relight this candle and blow it out twenty times total”. Some of Christine’s other friend’s took me quite literally… I sound like an absolute bitch, but I really wasn’t impressed with the dslr they were passing around, and making her pose several times whilst kneeling on the floor, pretending to blow her candle out again and again. It’s just so posed and uncalled for. No doubt they will be found on facebook sometime very soon.

Christine and Tsui, so cute together.

I’m not going to lie, I got rave reviews – and was bloody happy about it too. “You need to spike this with weed! Then they will be looking at what’s to come…”

Some bar we walked past on the way to the Library Bar. A passing shot. Quite surprised that my snatch-focusing whilst breezing past actually worked out.

Dragged out some lights, of course.

We found this Canadian Club Jenga set that I really really wanted to nick off home with. The bartender gave me their supplier’s details since he wasn’t allowed to give it to me to keep, haha.

Some self indulgent photoboothing in my room. The fourth one down? Totally my expression towards Laws’ bigotry and ignorance. And maybe I should’ve put some pants on.

I could do it all again

I don’t think anyone else in the world could possibly make the following statement that I’m about to make: “In the past 12 hours I have been to: Malibu beach, the Getty Centre for sunset and then to a Lakers vs. Bulls game”.

Spent about 3-4 hours in total driving today, especially during peak hour traffic from the Gettys Centre to the Staples Centre. Dammit, I know here in America they spell it as “center” but I just can’t do that without forcing myself to. On the way back to Malibu from the Staples Centre, a bunch of cop cars closed down a huge section of the Pacific Coast Highway, causing me and all the other confused drivers to take a huuuuge detour around the Malibu hills, down Sunset Blvd in a huuuge circuit. They did it in the most unconventional (aka inefficient, confusing and STUPID) way ever – instead of just parking and blocking the road with their lights on like the police usually do, they decided to turn their lights on and start driving in a zigzag pattern down the PCH, confusing the hell out of us all.

Anyway, I’m too tired to recount my whole day now. I took a roll and a half of black and white film as well, but here are just a handful of digital shots from my epic 12 hours today:

Went to the beach at Malibu – froze our butts off.

California number plate! The car I’ve been driving around.

Obligatory jumping photo. Wish I could fly. It was so windy it sure felt like I almost could.

At the colony in Malibu. CUPCAKES.

Red Velvet was mine, and Chocolate Snowball was Liv’s. Weird iced tea I had with my macchiato.

Fancy schmancy.

If my life’s work ever got analysed, this would be the “epitome” of “me”: monochromatic, shadows, frames, self. All it lacks is reflection.

At Getty Centre.

Sunset. Reflection. Frame. How typically-Amanda of me.

More reflections.

Post-dusk view.

Tram.

STAPLES CENTER!!! There, I spelt it the American way.

Proof!!!

Lamar played amazingly tonight. Top scorer for Lakers. Sorry Kobe.

JACK! I didn’t have my long lens with me so had to wait til he got on screen to get a better shot.

Crowd goes mad.

Final score.

Califoooooorniaaaaa

Everytime I hear the word “California” I think of that Phantom Planet song that used to be on The OC. Point is I am now in California! Currently, I am sitting at a kitchen table in a hostel in Hollywood, and tomorrow I am heading up to San Francisco.

Somehow I was very lucky wth my flight that, not only were my tickets so cheap, but I managed to get 3 seats to myself! Cheapest, BEST seats onbaord, I’m pretty sure, and  I savoured the luxury of being able to spread my legs out to sleep. Liv and her roommate picked me up from the airport and we headed off to a mall, for Pinkberry’s frozen yoghurt and then later dinner at a place called the Grand Lux Cafe.

Very irrelevant, but I really feel the need to show off the rainbow cake and cupcakes that I made for my friend Liz’s birthday party on Friday night:

Moscow Mule:

Deadly walking stick: